To use cloak.py you need to pass it the original file, and optionally the output file name. Example: $ python ./cloak.py -i backdoor.asp -o backdoor.asp_ This will create an encrypted and compressed binary file backdoor.asp_. Such file can then be converted to its original form by using the -d functionality of the cloak.py program: $ python ./cloak.py -d -i backdoor.asp_ -o backdoor.asp If you skip the output file name, general rule is that the compressed file names are suffixed with the character '_', while the original is get by skipping the last character. So, that means that the upper examples can also be written in the following form: $ python ./cloak.py -i backdoor.asp $ python ./cloak.py -d -i backdoor.asp_